For more inform

ation and recipes, go to:

Building Strong and Vibrant N

ew York C

omm

unitiesCornell Cooperative Extension provides equal program

and employm

ent opportunities.

VEN

ISON

Processing, Preparing, and Presenting Big Gam

e

Acknow

ledgment: This w

ork was supported by the U

SDA

National Institute of Food and A

griculture, Multistate

Hatch and Sm

ith-Lever projects 2013-14-380: Returning Warriors II: A

Study of the Social-Ecological Benefi ts of C

oming H

ome to N

ature and 2011-12-221: Returning Warriors: A

Study of the Social-Ecological Benefi ts of Com

ing H

ome to N

ature.

This guide is produced by REWO

RRRS (Returning Warriors: O

utdoor Recreation, Restoration &

Resilience Study) in partnership with W

ild H

arvest Table, Seneca County C

ornell Cooperative Extension, W

ounded W

arriors in Action Foundation (W

WIA

) and Cornell U

niversity D

epartment of N

atural Resources.

Edited and Com

piled by: Moira Tidball, K

eith TidballG

raphic Design by: C

hristie Brewer

4/2016 v.347

Photo by Holly A

. Heyser

time to set a nice table and enjoy the m

eal! You can always be creative, but

a traditional way to set the table is forks on the left, knife and spoon on the

right, drink above the knife and spoon slightly to the right, and a napkin under the fork. Enjoy your feast w

ith family or friends or treat yourself to a

well-deserved gourm

et meal!

46

Presentation of Gam

eM

any people have a negative association with eating venison. Perhaps

they have had a bad experience eating venison that was overcooked, or

mishandled in som

e way to get labeled as “too gam

ey” or “tough as shoe leather”. O

ther people just cannot get past the idea of eating “Bambi”, so

don’t mention that w

hen presenting the food at the table ;-) The recipes and tips in this book should help even the toughest critics realize that venison m

eat is delicious, and don’t forget to mention that venison is also

highly nutritious. The fi nal step is presenting game nicely at the table.

You “eat with your eyes fi rst” is a true expression know

n by chefs and restaurants. If food looks appealing, people w

ant to eat it or are at least are w

illing to try it. If it looks nasty, well, you’ll have a harder tim

e convincing people that it tastes good.

The term “plating” refers to m

aking a dish look delicious by using a mix of

color, textures, layering, and placement of foods on the plate. You can use

the same techniques at hom

e by choosing colorful vegetable side dishes or garnishing the plate w

ith a bit of green parsley or a small section of

fruit. You may choose to serve m

eat on top of rice, potatoes, pasta, or salad greens w

ith a drizzle of sauce over the top when plating gam

e dishes. A

nother important consideration is the portions on the plate so that it

looks balanced and food is not spilling off the plate.

If you have taken the time to harvest an anim

al and cook it, then take the

The REWO

RRRS study, funded by the United States D

epartment of

Agriculture N

ational Institute of Food and Agriculture, explores the

importance of hum

an nature interactions in outdoor recreation and restoration activities am

ong returning war veterans, and how

these interactions relate to individual, com

munity, and social-ecological health

and resilience. The multitude of benefi ts provided by nature contact for

health and well-being are w

ell documented. A

potential added benefi t of outdoor recreation activities that involve nature contact through hunting and fi shing is bringing hom

e meat to eat! This booklet off ers practical

advice on preparing and consuming venison, including deer, elk, m

oose, and other ungulates, from

fi eld to table based on the Wild H

arvest Table program

and Cornell C

ooperative Extension research and outreach. The health and nutritional benefi ts of consum

ing venison are presented, along w

ith recipes and tips for delicious preparation and appealing presentation of venison. A

lways be sure to check your state’s hunting regulations for

seasons and bag limits as w

ell as guidance regarding game and habitat

studies.studies.

Table of Contents

How

and Why to U

se this Guide 1 - 3

Food Safety and Field Processing 4 - 6

Nutritional Benefi ts of V

enison 6

Venison C

uts and Cooking M

ethods 7

Recipes 8 - 36

Canning V

enison in a Pressure Canner 37 - 45

Presentation of Gam

e 46 - 47

45

Raw

Pack Preparation1. If desired put ½

teaspoon salt in pint jars, 1 teaspoon in quart jars.2. Pack raw

meat into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.

3. Do not add liquid.

4. Wipe jar rim

. Place prepared lid on jar and adjust jar ring.

Process in a Dial G

auge Pressure Canner at 11 pounds pressure O

R in a

Weighted G

auge Pressure Canner at 10 pounds pressure

Pints75 m

inutesQ

uarts90 m

inutes

Altitude A

djustment

Adapted from

So Easy to Preserve, 5th Edition, Cooperative Extension U

niversity of Georgia.

Dial G

auge Pressure Canner

Altitude

Pounds of Pressure0 to 2,000 feet

112,001 to 4,000 feet

124,001 to 6,000 feet

136,001 to 8,000 feet

148,001 to 10,000 feet

15

Weighted G

auge Pressure Canner

Altitude

Pounds of Pressure1 to 1,000 feet

10A

bove 2,000 feet15

44

Canning M

eat Strips, C

ubes or C

hunks (Bear, Beef, Veal, Lam

b, Pork or Venison)

1. Choose high quality, chilled m

eat. Remove excess fat.

2. Strong-fl avored wild m

eats should be soaked for 1 hour in a brine made

from 1 tablespoon salt per quart of w

ater. Rinse meat.

3. Cut into 1-inch w

ide strips, cubes or chunks.

Hot Pack Preparation

1. Pre-cook meat to the rare stage by roasting, stew

ing or browning in a

small am

ount of fat.2. If desired put ½

teaspoon salt in pint jars, 1 teaspoon in quart jars.3. Pack m

eat loosely into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.4. Fill jar to 1 inch from

the top with boiling m

eat juices, broth, water or

tomato juice (especially for w

ild game.)

5. Remove air bubbles. A

dd more liquid if necessary.

6. Wipe jar rim

. Place prepared lid on jar and hold in place with ring.

1

How

and Why to U

se this G

uideThis booklet is part of a series intended to equip the W

WIA

guide with the

basic information necessary to be able to successfully process, prepare, and

present wild fi sh and gam

e that is harvested during a WW

IA event. This

booklet provides skills and recipes needed to process and prepare venison. Venison can refer to w

hite-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, antelope, m

oose, caribou and all other popular deer-like big gam

e species. In a recent study undertaken w

ith WW

IA, veteran participants w

ere asked if including w

ild fi sh and game processing, preparation and presentation

skills in sponsored expeditions would increase their satisfaction w

ith those outings. 89%

(139/156) responded that it would increase their satisfaction,

with 70%

saying it would greatly increase satisfaction. 90%

agreed that “increasing m

y knowledge and skill in w

ild fi sh and game processing,

preparation, and presentation would increase m

y feelings of satisfaction about being an outdoors person.” There is a huge feeling of satisfaction that com

es from procuring one’s ow

n food from start to fi nish. There is

also an ethical responsibility to be a good steward of w

hat is harvested. As

a hunting guide you are an important part of this process.

2

Here are som

e things to think about well

ahead of the hunt.

1. Do you have the equipm

ent and know-how

to fi eld dress a deer or other big gam

e quarry? You will need at least a sharp knife to gut

the deer, plastic gloves, and a fi eld dressing guide (or knowledge).

Consider ice for the cavity if it w

ill take a few hours to pack the anim

al out, plus a plan for m

oving the animal from

the fi eld to a cooler and eventual processing location.

2. Have you considered non-lead am

munition for the hunt, especially if

deer meat w

ill be consumed by children or m

others to be? Research conducted by the M

innesota Departm

ent of Natural Resources show

ed that lead fragm

ents can spread well into the m

eat, even as far as a foot aw

ay from the w

ound channel! 3. D

o you have a butcher or system coordinated to properly process the

meat? O

nce the deer is fi eld dressed, is there a local processor that will

accept the deer? Often this can be donated to a W

WIA

hunt and frozen m

eat is shipped later.4. If taxiderm

y is desired, is this organized? If so, coordination to save the rack, head, and hide w

ill have to be linked with the butcher plans.

5. Have you considered state law

s about shipping meat and packaging

concerns? 6. D

o you have coolers and ice or a way to keep the deer m

eat below

45°F as quickly as possible? 7. If choice cuts of m

eat will be available right aw

ay, do you have a plan to incorporate this into part of a m

eal plan and/or a cooking dem

onstration? This is a great way to have a taste of the prize right

43

boil foods for 10 minutes before tasting or eating. A

dd an additional m

inute of boiling time for each additional 1,000 feet elevation.

3. All low

-acid foods canned according to the approved recomm

endations m

ay be eaten without boiling, w

hen you are sure of all the following:

• Food w

as processed in a pressure canner.•

The pressure canner gauge was accurate.

• U

p-to-date researched process times and pressures w

ere used for the size of jar, style of pack, and kind of food being canned.

• A

n approved recipe was used w

ith no changes made in ingredients

or proportions of ingredients.•

The time and pressure recom

mended for processing the food at the

canning location’s altitude were follow

ed.•

Jar lid is fi rmly sealed and concave.

• N

othing has leaked from the jar.

• N

o liquid spurts out when jar is opened.

• N

o unnatural or “off ” odors can be detected.•

Meat that is not fully subm

erged in liquid may discolor, but it is still

safe to eat.

References: USD

A’s C

omplete G

uide to Hom

e Canning, 2006. So Easy to Preserve, 5th Edition, C

ooperative Extension Service, The U

niversity of Georgia, 2006. N

ational Center for H

ome Food Preservation w

ebsite: htt p://nchfp.uga.edu/. C

ompiled by Judy Price &

Katherine H

umphries , C

ornell Cooperative Extension.

42

3. To reprocess, start by removing the lid. C

heck headspace of food and liquid. C

heck the jar rim for dam

age. If no chips or nicks are on the sealing rim

, the lid may not have been put on tightly enough or the lid

may not have been prepared properly. C

lean the sealing surface of the jar or replace the jar if dam

aged. Use a new

lid and process for the full raw

-pack time. A

fter reprocessing, the food will be safe, how

ever the quality w

ill be diminished.

Storage of Jars

1. Remove, w

ash, dry and store metal screw

bands in a dry place to retard rusting. W

ash jars and label each jar with contents, date processed and

lot number if m

ore than one canner load was processed on the date.

Writing the date and content directly on the lid w

ith a permanent

marker w

orks well and insures you w

on’t mistakenly use the lid again

next year (the metal rings can be reused, but the lids should only be

used once for canning). For best quality, store between 50°F and 70°F in

a dry place to prevent the lids from rusting and possibly breaking the

seal.

2. Before opening each jar, look for bulging lids, leaks and any unusual appearance of the food. A

fter opening, check for off -odor, mold, foam

or spurting liquid. N

ever taste questionable foods. Caution: To prevent the risk of botulism

, low-acid and tom

ato foods not canned according to 1994 or m

ore recent USD

A-endorsed recom

mendations should be boiled

even if you detect no signs of spoilage. At altitudes below

1,000 feet,

3

away and get som

e expert tips on venison preparation. It may be

helpful to have a vacuum sealer or freezer bags for m

eat to be frozen and available to go hom

e with hunters at the end of the hunting trip.

8. Do you have basic cooking equipm

ent and ingredients to cook up som

e wild gam

e? A cast iron skillet, D

utch oven (or pot with a lid),

sharp knife, olive oil, pads of butt er, salt & pepper, and tongs are the

basics needed to cook up some tasty back straps or a roast. A

clove of garlic and other seasoning m

ixes are also nice to have on hand. Don’t

forget hand sanitizer for both the cook and the eaters!

9. Has the hunter practiced shooting w

ith the gun or bow (and am

mo)

that will be used in the fi eld for the quick killing shot? A

lways

familiarize your hunter w

ith their fi rearm or bow

. Things don’t always

go perfectly, but a well shot deer w

ill be easier to clean and the meat

will be m

ore pristine. 10. D

o you have some resources for the hunters to cook their venison

when they get hom

e, such as this booklet or cookbook or website

suggestions?

4

Rem

ember Food Safety

Starts in the Field!Consider using non-lead bullets or slugs

Research has shown that sm

all, undetectable lead fragments rem

ain in the m

eat of animals shot w

ith lead amm

unition, especially in the ground meat.

Lead is a neurotoxin that can be particularly harmful to grow

ing children and developing fetuses (pregnant w

omen). If you choose to use lead

amm

unition, be sure to discard the meat around the w

ound channel.

Properly field dress the deer and cool the inner cavity as soon as possible

Bring a sharp knife for gutt ing your deer, plastic gloves, and some

sanitizing wipes to clean your blade. If you choose to rinse the inner

cavity of the deer after gutt ing, be sure to dry it w

ith a towel. Excessive

moisture can lead to

harmful bacteria grow

th. Prop the cavity open w

ith clean sticks to allow

the air to circulate, cooling dow

n the cavity. Penn State has a Field D

ressing Deer Pocket

Image from

ww

w.hunter-ed.com

41

on a rack, dry towel, w

ood board, or layers of newspaper to prevent the

jars from breaking from

contact with a cold surface. A

ny water on the

top of jars will evaporate, so do not tilt the jars to pour w

ater off as this can break the seal. Leave at least 1-inch of space betw

een jars. Keep hot

jars out of cold drafts.

16. Do not tighten rings. Jar lids should not be re-tightened after

processing. As jars cool, the contents in the jars contract, pulling the

self-sealing lid fi rmly against the jar to form

a high vacuum. M

ost two-

piece lids will seal w

ith a “pop” sound while they’re cooling.

17. Allow

jars to cool, untouched, for 12 to 24 hours.

Finishing the Canning Process

1. Testing for seal - When jars are com

pletely cool to the touch (about 12 hours), test each jar for a seal. Jars w

ith fl at, metal lids are sealed if:

• Lid has popped dow

n in center.•

Lid does not move w

hen pressed down w

ith a fi nger.•

Tapping the center of the lid with a spoon m

akes a clear ringing sound. A

dull thudding sound may indicate a w

eak seal or that food is touching the underside of the lid. To determ

ine which, hold the jar

up and look at it.

2. If a jar is not sealed, refrigerate and use it within 2 or 3 days. O

ther options are to freeze the contents (in a freezer container) or to reprocess the food w

ithin 24 hours of the initial processing.

40

12. Let the pressure in the canner drop to zero. This will take 30-45 m

inutes in a standard heavy-w

alled canner and nearly an hour in larger canners. N

ewer thin-w

alled canners depressurize more quickly. D

o not rush the cooling process by sett ing the canner in w

ater or running cold w

ater over it. Never lift the w

eight or open the vent to hasten the reduction of pressure. Proper depressurization is im

portant for the safety of the food.

13. When canner is depressurized, open the vent or rem

ove the weight.

Older canners are depressurized w

hen the gauge on a dial gauge canner registers zero, or w

hen a gentler nudge to the weight on a

weighted gauge canner does not produce steam

. New

er canners are equipped w

ith a safety lock. These canners are depressurized when

the safety lock releases. Sometim

es safety locks located in the handle of the canner w

ill stick. If a nudge to a canner weight indicates it is

depressurized then run a knife blade between the handles to release the

lock.

14. Wait 10 m

inutes, unfasten the lid and remove it carefully. Lift the lid

with the underside aw

ay from you so that the steam

coming out of the

canner does not burn your face. Do not leave the canner unopened to

completely cool. The food m

ay spoil, and it may be very diffi cult to

open the canner hours after it has cooled.

15. Use a jar lifter to carefully rem

ove the jars as soon as the processing tim

e and depressurization time is over. Place the hot jars right side up

5

Guide that is handy to have in your kit. There are m

any on-line resources for fi eld dressing deer. Just be sure the inform

ation is from a reliable,

research-based source, such as a State’s Cooperative Extension (.edu) or

Departm

ent of Environmental C

onservation (.gov).

Keep the deer below

40°F during agingO

nly age your deer for a few days to tenderize the m

eat if you have a place to store it below

40°F where pests cannot get it (i.e. canines, cats, or

rodents). The deer should be hung by its hind feet with the skin on during

aging. If the temperature is not cooperating, it is not necessary to age the

meat to achieve tender results. O

ther ways to tenderize m

eat are through m

echanical processes, such as pounding with a m

eat mallet or piercing

the meat; using acidic m

arinades, such as vinegar or wine to break dow

n the m

eat; brining the meat in salted w

ater to enhance juiciness; braising by searing or “brow

ning” the meat, then cooking it for a few

hours in liquid (think stew

or pot roast); and a fi nal tenderizing technique is to not overcook steaks or other tender cuts.

Have a plan for storing deer m

eat, such as freezing, canning, jerky m

akingO

ne cubic foot of freezer space holds about 30-35 pounds of cut and w

rapped meat, depending on the shape of the cuts. You can expect to get

about 50-60% yield of edible m

eat, so a 100 pound deer will yield about

50 to 60 pounds of meat for the freezer. A

lways freeze m

eat one layer at a tim

e. Filling a box with m

any packs of unfrozen meat w

ill lead to w

arm spots in the m

iddle of the box and portions of the meat m

ay not be thoroughly frozen, causing a food safety concern. M

eat can be condensed

6

Data source: U

.S. Departm

ent of Agriculture, A

gricultural Research Service. 2011. USD

A N

ational Nutrient D

atabase for Standard Reference, Release 24. N

utrient Data Laboratory H

ome Page, htt p://w

ww

.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/nd. Com

piled by M

oira Tidball, Cornell U

niversity Cooperative Extension of Seneca C

ounty, 2012.

Nutrition

Information per

3 oz. portion

Energy (kcal)

Protein (g)

Fat (g)

Total saturated fat (g)

Total Mono-unsaturated fat (g)

Total Poly-unsaturated fat (g)

Cholesterol (mg)

Calcium (mg)

Iron (mg)

Magnesium (mg)

Phosphorus (mg)

Potassium (mg)

Sodium (mg)

Zinc (mg)

Selenium (mcg)

Vitamin C (mg)

Thiamin (mg)

Riboflavin (mg)

Niacin (mg)

Vitamin A (IU)

Total Folate (mcg)

Antelope 97

19 1.7

0.63 0.41

0.37 81

3 2.71

23 160

300 43

1.09 2.7

0 0.27

0.49 N

A 0

NA

Large G

ame

Caribou

108 19.3

2.9 1.1

0.86 0.4

71 14

4 22

177 251

48 3.4

8.7 0

0.27 0.61

4.7 0

3 D

eer 120

23 2.4

0.95 0.67

0.47 85

5 3.4

23 202

318 51

2.1 9.7

0 0.22

0.48 6.37

0 3

Elk 94

19.5 1.2

0.45 0.31

0.26 47

3 2.35

20 137

265 49

2.04 8.3

0 N

A N

A N

A 0

NA

Moose

87 18.9

0.6 0.19

0.13 0.2

50 4

2.73 20

134 270

55 2.38

8.2 3.4

0.05 0.23

4.25 0

NA

into a box once it is frozen solid. Canning m

eat is a great way to save on

freezer space. It not only frees up freezer space, but the canned meat is

very tender and ready to prepare quick meals. If you are unfam

iliar with

canning check with your local C

ooperative Extension offi ce to see if they off er hands-on courses or guidance for canning. There is a large section in this booklet devoted to canning m

eat.

Nutritional Benefits of V

enisonVenison is a delicious and nutritious m

eat, especially when properly

prepared!

Wild deer m

eat tends to be low in fat and high in m

ineral and protein content due to a deer’s diverse, foraged diet and free range lifestyle. Less fat in the m

eat equals fewer calories as w

ell.

Large Gam

e Nutrition Inform

ation Per 3 oz. Portion

39

6. Allow

steam to escape for 10 m

inutes.

7. Close the vent, using a w

eight, valve or screw, depending on the type of

canner. If it is a weighted gauge w

ith varying pressures, be sure to use the correct pressure for the food.

8. For a dial gauge canner, let the pressure rise quickly to 8 pounds pressure. A

djust the burner temperature dow

n slightly and let the pressure continue to rise to the correct pressure. (If the burner is left on high, it w

ill be diffi cult to regulate the pressure once it rises.)

9. For a weighted gauge canner, let the canner heat quickly at fi rst and

when the safety lock engages adjust the burner heat dow

n slightly until the w

eight begins to rock gently or “jiggle” 2 to 3 times per m

inute, depending on the brand of canner. A

djust the burner heat so as to have a continuous rocking or jiggling 2 to 3 tim

es per minute. Start counting

the processing time as soon as the w

eight rocks or jiggles.

10. Keep the pressure constant by regulating the heat. D

o not lower the

pressure by opening the vent or lifting the weight. K

eep drafts from

blowing on the canner. Fluctuating pressure is one cause of liquid loss

from jars (siphoning) and for dangerous under-processing.

11. When processing tim

e is complete, carefully rem

ove the canner from

the heat. If too heavy, simply turn off the heat. Rem

oving the canner from

an electric burner is recomm

ended.

38

The following are general instructions for

using a pressure canner (17 steps):

1. Place 2 to 3 inches hot water in the canner if you are canning raw

packed foods. For hot packed food, the w

ater may be gently boiling.

2. Set the jars of food on the rack in the canner so steam can fl ow

around each jar.

3. Fasten the canner lid so that no steam escapes around the seal.

4. Make sure the vent (petcock) is open.

5. Turn burner heat to high, and watch for steam

to escape in a funnel shape from

the open vent.

7

Venison Cuts and C

ooking Methods

htt p://extension.psu.edu/publications/agrs-112

8

Recipes

Hunter’s Pie Baked Potatoes 9

Venison Pot Roast 12Venison Backstrap w

ith Caram

elized Onions 14

Venison Nachos 16

Venison Summ

er Sausage with C

heese and Jalapeño Pepper 18Venison M

eatballs 20 G

rilled Venison Steaks 22G

randpa’s Venison Burgers 24Venison Stew

26Venison “Veal” C

utlets 28Venison Sw

iss Steaks 30Red, W

hite, and Blue – 4th of July Venison Burgers 32

Venison (or Goose) Jerky 34

The guiding culture started in the north woods, especially in the

northeastern states of Maine and N

ew York. These early guides knew

w

here to hunt and fi sh, how to navigate the w

ilderness, and how to

cook their quarry! True to this great guiding tradition, today’s guides should be experts in the four Ps (procurem

ent, processing, preparing, and presentation) of w

ild game m

eat that they help their fellows harvest. N

ot only is this im

portant to pay our respect to tradition, it is a fundamental

aspect of our ethical obligations as hunters and anglers today. What

follows are som

e delicious and simple recipes to help you partake in this

time-honored tradition.

37

Canning Venison in a Pressure C

annerC

anning is the process by which foods are placed in jars or cans and

heated to a temperature that destroys m

icroorganisms and inactivates

enzymes. This heating and later cooling form

s a vacuum seal. The vacuum

seal prevents other m

icroorganisms from

re-contaminating the food w

ithin the jar or can.

The pressure canner is used to process foods under pressure which creates

higher temperatures in the canner than can be achieved in a boiling w

ater bath canner. The pressure m

ost often used is 10 or 11 pounds, which

creates a temperature of 240°F.

Pressure canning is the only safe method for processing low

acid foods such as vegetables, m

eat, poultry, and fi sh. The pressure canner can supply enough heat to destroy the bacterial toxins that cause botulism

as well as

other types of spoilage. Failure to properly process low acid foods in a

pressure canner can result in botulism, w

hich is often fatal.

Read your manufacturer’s instructions concerning the operation of your

pressure canner; however, only use canning recipes and tim

etables that have been approved by U

SDA

and published after 1994.

36

Directions

1. Com

bine all of the marinade ingredients in a

shallow glass or ceram

ic (not metal) pan and

place meat in the pan, being sure to coat all of

the pieces with the m

arinade.2. C

over and refrigerate the marinating m

eat for 1-2 hours or overnight (the jerky w

ill taste saltier the longer it is m

arinated).3. Rem

ove the pan from the refrigerator and

place meat along w

ith the marinade in a skillet

or pan and place on the stove over medium

high heat and bring to a boil. Boil the m

ixture for 5 m

inutes (this will kill any bacteria by

reaching 160°F). Remove the strips of m

eat and place to drain on clean absorbent tow

els.4. A

rrange the meat strips on dehydrator trays

with the m

eat close together but not touching. If you are dehydrating in an oven, place the m

eat on metal racks that are placed on

cooking sheets to catch the drippings. Place the racks in a dehydrator or convection oven preheated to 140-145°F. Begin checking the m

eat after about 3 hours to see if it is dry. It should crack, but not break w

hen bent.

(continued) Venison (or Goose) Jerky Recipe

9

Ingredients•

1 ½ lb ground venison

• ½

red onion, minced

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 carrots, fi nely diced

• 1 cup of peas

• 1 teaspoon m

inced thyme or oregano, ½

teaspoon if using ground

• ½

cup chopped parsley (optional)•

2 cups diced tomatoes (or a 14.5 oz can)

• a splash of w

ine, Guinness, or verm

outh to deglaze the pan (optional)

• 4 large baking potatoes, such as russet

• 4 tablespoons butt er

• ½

cup milk

• salt and pepper to taste

This is a fun twist on Shepard’s Pie. They can be m

ade ahead of time if

you are feeding a crowd.

Serves: 4

Hunter’s Pie

Baked Potatoes

VEN

ISON

10

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Wash and dry the baking potatoes, pierce

potatoes on all sides with a fork and rub a bit of olive oil over the

potatoes. Place on oven rack and bake until tender, about 45 minutes-1

hour.

2. Meanw

hile brown ground venison in a skillet over m

edium heat on the

stove (you may need to add a bit of olive oil depending on your pan

and if the venison is sticking). Add the onion, carrots, peas, 1 clove of

minced garlic, thym

e, and a handful of chopped parsley. Sauté a few

minutes. A

dd about 2 Tbsp of wine, G

uinness, or vermouth to deglaze

the pan, scraping up any bits (optional). Add the tom

atoes and stir w

ell. Cook until the liquid is absorbed and the m

eat is cooked through. K

eep warm

until the potatoes are done.

3. When the potatoes are done cooking

and cool enough to handle, cut them

in half lengthwise. Scoop the inside

of the potato out into a bowl (a m

etal spoon or sm

all ice cream scoop w

orks w

ell for this) leaving the wall of the

potato intact. 4. Place the hollow

ed out potato skins on a baking sheet. Add butt er,

milk, and 1 clove of m

inced garlic to the insides of the potato and mash/

whip the potatoes. Season to taste w

ith salt and pepper. Place mashed/

whipped potatoes into a quart size plastic bag and cut the corner to

VEN

ISON

35

Preparing Venison or G

oose to Make Jerky

• Take about 2 pounds of m

eat out of the freezer, choosing a cut that will

slice well, such as steaks, chops or roasts.

• Place the m

eat in the refrigerator to defrost. Partially frozen meat is

easier to slice. Do not defrost the m

eat at room tem

perature because this w

ill allow bacteria to m

ultiply and potentially cause an unsafe product. •

Trim fat from

the meat and slice the m

eat into slices no thicker than ¼

-inch. Slice with the grain if a chew

y jerky is desired and across the grain if a m

ore britt le, tender jerky is preferred.

(directions continued on next page)

Photo by Holly A

. Heyser

34

Clean out the freezer of last year’s venison by m

aking some jerky to snack

on during this hunting season. Jerky is really quite easy to make, yet it

takes some tim

e. Reliable, science-based recipes must be follow

ed. Using

meat from

the freezer will help w

ith proper rotation of your freezer space and help em

pty it for defrosting before restocking it with this year’s

quarry. Plus, frozen meat w

orks well for this recipe and jerky tastes great!

Serves: 6

Venison (or Goose) Jerky

Marinade Ingredients

• ¼

cup soy sauce•

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• dash of pepper

• dash of garlic pow

der•

dash of onion powder

• 1 teaspoon hickory sm

oke fl avored salt (or regular salt)

11

make a pastry-type bag or use a pastry bag and tip if you have one.

Spoon the venison mixture into the potato skins and then pipe som

e of the w

hipped potatoes on top. (The potatoes can be placed in the fridge at this stage for a few

hours until ready to heat for dinner- this makes

them a fun, and easy thing to serve for a dinner party w

ith friends and fam

ily)

5. Put the potatoes back into the oven and cook about 10 minutes until

heated through.

12

Ingredients•

3 pound venison roast•

2 tablespoons fl our•

1 tablespoon olive oil•

1 medium

onion, diced•

2 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 big carrots, sliced

• 4 celery stalks, sliced

• 1 teaspoon thym

e•

1 teaspoon rosemary

• ½

teaspoon salt•

½ teaspoon pepper

• 1 ½

cups stock (beef, chicken, or wine)

This makes a delicious Sunday roast and the leftovers m

ake great sandw

iches. Happy hunting and bon appetite!

Serves: 10 - 12

Venison Pot Roast

VEN

ISON

33

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients and form

into 6 hamburger

patt ies. Grill patt ies until cooked through. You

can top patt ies with additional blue cheese and

chives. It is important to not over cook venison

or it will dry out due to its lack of fat, w

hich also m

akes it a healthy choice of meat!

32

Ingredients•

1 ½ pounds ground venison m

eat•

½ cup diced sw

eet onion, such as vidalia, red, or shallot•

½ cup diced sun-dried tom

atoes•

½ cup crum

bled blue cheese•

1-2 tablespoons olive oil•

1 egg or just egg white

• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon thym

e, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon parsley fl akes)

• salt and pepper to taste

In celebration of the 4th of July or any patriotic celebration, try these “Red, W

hite, and Blue” burgers…sure to be a crow

d pleaser. The “red” is from

sun dried tomatoes, the “blue” is blue cheese and the “w

hite” is white

tailed deer. Recipe was developed by C

agey T.

Serves: 6

Red, W

hite, and Blue –

4th of July Venison Burgers

VEN

ISON

13

Directions

1. Lightly dust roast with fl our, salt and pepper.

2. Heat olive oil in dutch oven over m

edium to

medium

-high heat; sear roast on each side until brow

n (about 2 minutes each side).

3. Add onion, garlic, carrots, m

ushrooms, and

celery to pan. Sauté for 3-5 minutes.

4. Add thym

e, rosemary, salt, and pepper.

5. Pour in liquid, then scrape bott om of the pan

with a w

ooden spoon to loosen fl our and meat

drippings to incorporate into the sauce.6. C

over the pan and place in oven at 300°F for a few

hours until meat is very tender and falls

off the bone, making sure there is still liquid in

the pan.7. If using a crock pot, cook in crock pot for 8

hours on low.

8. To make a gravy, save the juice from

the pan by straining off the solids and then boiling the liquid on the stove until thickened. C

an be served over boiled potatoes.

14

Ingredients•

1-2 pounds venison backstrap•

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 m

edium vidalia or yellow

onion, sliced•

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon fresh rosem

ary•

1 teaspoon fresh thyme (optional)

• ½

teaspoon brown sugar

• dash of cayenne pepper

• coarse salt

• freshly ground black pepper

The backstrap or tenderloins are the long tender strips of meat found along

either side of the spine. It is often considered the prize cut of meat from

a deer.

Serves: 4

Venison Backstrap with

Caram

elized Onions

VEN

ISON

31

Directions

1. Flour the venison steak and pound with a

meat m

allet until about ¼ - ½

-inch thickness.2. In a large braising pan or cast iron skillet

(properly seasoned, of course) heat the olive oil over m

edium high heat. A

dd the steaks and cook about 3 m

inutes until well brow

ned. Flip and brow

n the other side. 3. Rem

ove the meat and set aside on a plate.

4. Add the onion, carrot, pepper, m

ushroom,

garlic and 1 teaspoon herbs to the skillet. Sauté the veggies 3-5 m

inutes. Push the veggies aside, put the steaks back in the pan, and arrange veggies around and on top of the m

eat.5. M

ix the other teaspoon of herbs with the

tomatoes and pour on top of the m

eat and vegetables.

6. Cover pan and cook in a 325°F oven for 1 ½

hours.

7. Can be served over brow

n rice or whole grain

noodles with a side salad for a balanced,

nutritious meal.

30

Ingredients•

1 pound venison steak or boneless chops•

¼ cup fl our, seasoned w

ith salt and pepper•

1 tablespoon olive oil•

1 small onion (about ½

cup), chopped•

1 clove minced garlic (1-2 teaspoons)

• ½

cup chopped carrot•

½ cup chopped peppers

• ½

cup chopped mushroom

s•

1 pint diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)

• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning or a m

ix of oregano, thyme, rosem

ary, basil, etc.

• salt and pepper to taste

Serves: 4

Here is a tried and true w

ay to make tender and fl avorful venison steaks!

Venison Swiss Steaks

VEN

ISON

15

Directions

1. Rinse venison and pat dry. Season with salt

and pepper. Add balsam

ic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Rub into m

eat and let m

arinate for about 30 minutes to an hour.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over

medium

high heat. Pan fry venison, turning to brow

n, until medium

rare, about four minutes

total for a two-inch thick backstrap. Rem

ove from

heat and tent with foil (it w

ill cook a bit m

ore under the foil).3. Turn dow

n heat to medium

and add rem

aining olive oil to pan. Add onions, garlic

and rosemary, dash of cayenne pepper and

other desired herbs. Sprinkle with brow

n sugar. Toss and cook until onions brow

n and are slightly caram

elized, about 2-5 minutes.

Remove from

heat. Slice venison at an angle and serve w

ith onion and garlic mixture.

16

Ingredients•

1 pound ground venison•

1 tablespoon olive oil•

1 medium

onion, diced•

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2-3 tablespoons chili pow

der•

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes (or 1 quart hom

e canned tomatoes)

• 1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans or black beans (drained and rinsed)

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• ½

cup sour cream•

salt and pepper to taste•

tortilla chips•

optional: 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon crushed oregano, and 1

teaspoon cumin

This venison nachos recipe is a crowd favorite, plus using venison low

ers the fat content com

pared to typical beef versions!

Serves: 6 - 8

Get your G

ame O

n!

Venison Nachos

for Super Bow

l Sunday

29

Directions

1. Starting in the morning, cut the venison into pieces about the size of a

deck of cards (chop size). Then pound the venison until they are about ¼

-inch thick, using a meat m

allet (tenderizer).2. Place w

ater and salt in a glass or ceramic bow

l and maybe a few

slices of onion. A

dd the pounded venison. Drain and change the salted w

ater at least every hour (every half hour for the fi rst 2 hours is even bett er). The venison w

ill start to lose its red color and become pale and tender

like veal. It is best to have all day for this process, but it can be achieved in 3-4 hours.

3. Once the venison has transform

ed into veal-like quality, you can cook it cutlet style…

place milk in one bow

l, the mixed egg in another, and the

seasoned bread crumbs in a third bow

l or plate (no need for more salt

because of the salted water brine).

4. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a fry pan. Place each cutlet fi rst in

the milk, then egg, and then coat w

ith bread crumbs. Fry in the olive oil

2-3 minutes per side until golden brow

n.5. These are delicious hot out of the pan w

ith just a squirt of lemon and

parsley or you can proceed from here to m

ake venison parmesan, etc.

*Venison meat tends to have far few

er calories and fat than veal.

VEN

ISON

28

Ingredients•

1 pound venison steak or chops•

½ cup onion, sliced

• ½

cup fresh herbs such as parsley, rosemary,

thyme or 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning

• 1 quart w

ater•

2-4 tablespoons salt•

1 egg, stirred•

½ cup m

ilk•

½ cup seasoned bread crum

bs•

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

These tender morsels can be eaten sim

ply or interchanged with any veal

recipe (e.g., venison veal parmesan, venison veal m

arsala, venison veal piccata).

Serves: 4

Venison “Veal” Cutlets

VEN

ISON

17

Directions

1. In a stock pot, add the olive oil and brown

the venison over medium

high heat. Add the

onion and cook 3-5 minutes longer until onion

is translucent. Add the garlic and spices and

cook another minute (don’t let the garlic get

brown). A

dd the tomatoes and scrape the

bott om of the pan w

ith a wooden spoon or

non-metal spatula.

2. Bring mixture to a gentle boil, then low

er heat and sim

mer the chili about half an hour

or more until it is thicker. A

dd the beans and cook until heated through and the consistency is thick. Season to taste.

3. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a 10-inch pie plate, layer the tortilla chips, then cover w

ith venison chili (leave som

e room along the edges to pick

up chips) and top with cheddar cheese. Bake

for about 8 minutes until the cheese is m

elted. D

ollop spoonfuls of sour cream on top and

serve.

18

Ingredients•

1 cup cold water

• 3 tablespoons Tender Q

uick Curing salt

• 1-2 teaspoons m

ustard seed•

1-2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon m

arjoram (optional)

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 teaspoons liquid sm

oke fl avoring ( *omit this if sm

oking the sausage)•

3 pounds ground venison•

1 cup shredded or fi nely diced cheddar cheese•

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and fi nely diced

Here is a recipe for a delicious sum

mer sausage you can m

ake at home. It

is a perfect appetizer to share with fam

ily or friends!

Serves: 6

Venison Summ

er Sausage w

ith Cheese and Jalapeño Pepper

27

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F or turn on your crock pot. In a suitable braising pan (i.e. a deep pan w

ith an oven-proof lid, such as a dutch oven) heat the olive oil over m

edium heat.

2. Meanw

hile, lightly fl our the venison cubes. Brown the fl oured venison

cubes in the oil until nicely browned on all sides about 3-5 m

inutes.3. Rem

ove venison from the pan and set aside on a plate. A

dd the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and seasonings to the pan and gently brow

n your veggies for about 3 m

inutes. Add the w

ine, Worcestershire sauce and

vinegar to the pan and gently scrape up any bits on the bott om of the

pan with a w

ooden spoon.4. Turn off the burner. A

dd potatoes, tomatoes and venison m

eat back into the pan. G

ently stir all ingredients to combine and season w

ith salt and pepper (about 1 teaspoon salt and ½

teaspoon black pepper) and parsley (optional).

5. Cover the braising dish and place in oven for about 2 to 2½

hours until the m

eat is tender.6. If using a crock pot: fl our and brow

n the meat in the olive oil as

explained above. Place browned m

eat in a crock pot. Add the w

ine or beer to the pan that the m

eat was brow

ned in and scrape up any brow

ned bits on the bott om of the pan. A

dd this to the crock pot along w

ith the remaining ingredients and leave it to cook all day (4 -5 hours

on high sett ing or 8+ hours on low).

VEN

ISON

26

Ingredients•

1 ½ pounds cubed venison m

eat (you can use cube steak or roast if you do not have stew

meat packaged)

• 6 m

edium potatoes w

ashed and cut in half or quartered•

1 medium

onion, diced•

1 cup diced carrots (large chunks or can use “baby” carrots)•

1 cup diced celery•

3 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• ¼

cup fl our (optional to season the fl our with

salt and pepper)•

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning•

salt and pepper to taste•

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)

• 1 tablespoon balsam

ic vinegar (optional)•

1 ½ cups dry red w

ine or 12 ounces of dark beer•

1 can (about 14 ½ ounces) canned tom

atoes (diced or w

hole)•

4 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (optional)

This one pot meal is great on a cold w

inter night. You can even m

ake it in a crockpot so it is ready when

you get home.

Serves: 4 - 6

Venison StewV

ENISO

N

19

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.2. In a large bow

l, mix w

ater, curing salt, m

ustard, garlic, marjoram

, black pepper and liquid sm

oke until the salt is thoroughly dissolved. M

ix in the ground venison, cheese and jalapeño peppers until evenly blended (easiest to do this w

ith your hands, wearing

food gloves).3. D

ivide the mixture in half and roll each half

into 2 inch thick “logs.” Tightly wrap each

“log” with alum

inum foil and refrigerate for

24 hours.4. A

fter 24 hours, carefully remove the

aluminum

foil from the sausage logs and place

them on a baking sheet. Bake the sausage until

they reach an internal temperature of 170°F,

about 1 ½ - 2 hours. Let cool and slice thin to

serve.

*If smoking the sum

mer sausage, om

it the liquid sm

oke when m

ixing ingredients. Then instead of baking the unw

rapped sausage logs, cook them

in a smoker according to the m

anufacturer’s recom

mendations, m

aking sure the meat reaches

an internal temperature of 170°F.

20

Ingredients•

1 pound ground venison•

2 eggs, beaten•

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

• ½

cup breadcrumbs or quick oats

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

• ¼

cup chopped fresh parsley•

1 tablespoon Italian seasonings (thyme, oregano, basil)

• 1 clove m

inced garlic•

¼ cup m

inced onion (optional)•

½ teaspoon salt

• ½

teaspoon black pepper

Meatballs are a great w

ay to feed a crowd and use up ground venison.

They can be served with M

arinara sauce over spaghett i or as a sandwich,

and freeze well to be enjoyed later.

Serves: 4Venison Meatballs

VEN

ISON

25

Directions

1. Peel and dice half of the onion into ¼-inch

pieces. Wipe the m

ushrooms w

ith a damp

paper towel then dice into ¼

-inch pieces. If using jalapeño or poblano, rinse the pepper and dice to ¼

-inch pieces. (For less heat, rem

ove the seeds and sauté the peppers in oil before adding into the m

eat. For more heat,

add the seeds and uncooked peppers).2. Rem

ove sausage from casing if necessary. M

ix ground venison, sausage, onion, m

ushrooms,

peppers if using, and spices by hand. Divide

into 6 even portions, about 3 ounces each. Shape the patt ies into thick rounds w

ith a slight im

pression in the middle of each.

3. Grill patt ies on preheated fl att op griddle or

two sided grill. The patt ies w

ill be very lean so it is best not to cook them

on a grated grill as they m

ay fall apart. Cook until a therm

ometer

inserted into the center of a patt y reads at least 160°F.

4. Top with your favorite ham

burger toppings (suggested: lett uce, tom

ato, onion and barbecue sauce) and enjoy!

24

Ingredients•

1 pound ground venison•

2 Italian sausages•

1 small onion

• ½

cup mushroom

s•

1 teaspoon black pepper•

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• ½

teaspoon cumin

• ½

teaspoon dried thyme

• for extra heat, 1-2 tablespoons diced jalapeño or poblano pepper (about 1 w

hole jalapeño or 1/3 of a whole poblano)

• H

amburger buns “This is a new

spin on my grandpa’s recipe for venison

burgers. As an avid fi sher and hunter, he often served these delicious

burgers to my dad, aunt and uncle w

hen they were grow

ing up. Grandpa

uses the sausage to give the lean venison some extra fat to hold the patt ies

together on the grill. I’ve added the spices and peppers to give it a litt le extra heat!” – M

egan Moore, dietetic intern w

ith Seneca County C

ornell C

ooperative Extension.

Serves: 6

Grandpa’s

Venison Burgers

VEN

ISON

21

Directions

1. In a large bowl m

ix all ingredients and form

into 1 ½ inch m

eatballs.2. Lightly oil a large, heavy skillet or use a non-

stick sauté pan and cook the meatballs over

medium

heat until browned and cooked

through, turning frequently, for about 15 m

inutes.3. The m

eatballs can also be cooked in the oven at 375°F for about 25-30 m

inutes, until cooked through. Enjoy your m

eatballs with your

favorite sauce or in a sandwich.

4. To freeze any leftover meatballs, allow

them

to cool 15-30 minutes and freeze them

in an airtight container, such as tightly w

rapped in butcher paper or vacuum

sealed.

22

Ingredients•

1 ½ pounds of venison steak from

the loin or round •

3 tablespoons olive oil•

1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon W

orcestershire sauce•

1 clove minced garlic

• salt and pepper to taste

OR you can use ½

a cup of your favorite marinade

There are three tenderizing techniques used in this recipe to make the

end result tender and juicy- piercing the meat, m

arinating, and not over-cooking.

Serves: 4

Grilled Venison Steaks

VEN

ISON

23

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients except steak vigorously

together with a w

ire whip or shake in a jar.

2. Place meat in a ceram

ic or glass dish and pierce the steak all over w

ith a fork or Jaccard-type m

eat tenderizer. (Note: w

e are not prom

oting any particular brand of tenderizing equipm

ent and the image below

is just a representation. Forks w

ork just fi ne, too.) Pour the m

arinade over the meat, turning the m

eat to evenly distribute the m

arinade.3. C

over and place in the refrigerator for about 4 hours, turning the m

eat a few tim

es.4. G

rill the steaks over high heat (hott est part of grill) about 4 m

inutes a side, basting with any

remaining m

arinade or a bit of butt er. Venison steak is best if cooked no higher than m

edium,

or about 145°F. It’s that simple.